Wondrous
by hazelle
Summary: Movieverse, one-shot. Set after the first film, Peter and MJ are just hanging out when the unexpected happens... FINISHED!


**Hiya! Back with the promised Peter/MJ fic! This is actually the very first Spider-man fanfic I wrote, about a year ago, so it might be not as good as my other stories, but I did change some of it and tweak it a bit, so I dunno. This is set a fortnight after the first movie. Please tell me what you think of my very first fanfic!** **Oh yeah, sorry for the title that sucks. lol.**

**Wondrous**

"So how did your audition go?" Peter asked MJ. They were walking down a side street, to get away from the bustling pavements full of people doing some last minute Christmas shopping. It had been only a couple of weeks since MJ had professed her love to Peter on that day in the graveyard and Peter had rejected her heart. Neither one of them had mentioned that day since, and while Peter had kept his promise to protect her and be her friend, he had to love her from afar.

Before their friendship had been easy, full of laughter and smiles, and they had talked -really talked- but now their meaningless conversations carried underlying tension that was impossible to ignore, though Peter tried his best.

MJ was silent for a while as she thought back on the horror of her audition, and Peter looked over at her. She glanced at him and took the hint.

"Uh... not good." she stated. She looked so forlorn and disappointed that Peter wanted to wrap his arms around her and kiss her fears away. Instead he settled for some friendly words.

"Well, there's always a next time. If no-one can see how much talent you have then they don't deserve to be on Broadway!" Peter smiled. MJ forced a smile back and changed the subject.

"So, uh, shall we go to Dantes pizza or that little place down the road?"

"How about that new place, um, Milanos? I hear that place is good and I haven't been there yet." Peter suggested.

"Sure", she smiled brightly and they turned left down another street.

Peter was just thinking how quiet it was tonight, which he was glad for when MJ gasped and grabbed his arm.

Two men with ski masks obscuring their features stepped out of the shadows. One had a gun and the other had a knife, both pointed threateningly at him and MJ.

_Oh boy, _he thought to himself.

Peter pushed MJ protectively behind him, shielding her from danger.

The man with the knife spoke, his voice muffled by his mask. "Put your money on the floor".

"Now." the other man said menacingly, and motioned with his gun, making his intentions perfectly clear.

Peter and MJ hesitated, MJ in pure fear and Peter as hundreds of possibilities that would get them out of this mess flicked through his mind.

His mind was made up for him when the man with the knife suddenly lunged forward, impatient. MJ screamed and tugged on the back of Peter's coat. To her amazement Peter caught the man's arm a few millimetres away from his face, and twisted it sharply, causing the man to cry out with pain and drop the knife. Peter kicked him in the stomach and the man crumpled. The other man stirred nervously now that the odds were tipped.

"Peter..." MJ whispered in his ear. "Let's get out of here." she said fearfully. Peter nodded his agreement and they began to back slowly away from the man.

"Not so fast!" the guy said, gaining back the use of his voice after seeing his companion being dispatched so easily by a kid half the size of him.

"Alright" Peter held his hands up in a placating manner, then reached into his coat pocket for his wallet, but the thief got nervous and his finger twitched on the trigger.

MJ saw the bullet coming for Peter and knew she was going to lose her best friend, and the love of her life.

"No!" she yelled and desperately tried to move Peter out of the way. She knew it was hopeless but she was damned if she was going to just stand by and watch Peter die.

Peter saw the bullet coming and twisted to the side pushing MJ out of the line of fire as he did so. He saw more bullets coming and jumped up into the air to avoid them.

MJ fell hard on her back and grunted. She squeezed her eyes tight shut as she heard the gun being fired over and over again. She sat up and hesitantly opened her eyes, fully expecting to see her friend splattered all over the sidewalk. Instead she saw Peter moving almost too fast for the eye to see, twisting and turning as he nimbly avoided all the bullets. MJ felt her mouth drop open.

Peter landed back on the ground as the bullets stopped coming. The thief must have run out of ammo. Peter glanced down at MJ and saw she was staring at him with her jaw slack. He turned his attention back to the criminal as he heard him fumbling for another clip. _Might as well, _he thought savagely as he fired a strand of webbing at the criminal, plastering the gun to his hand and rendering it useless, _she did just see me dodge about 20 bullets, after all, what's a bit of webbing? _

The man swore and tried unsuccessfully to tug the sticky substance off. He gave up and charged at Peter swinging his gun like a club wildly. Peter calmly sidestepped his swing and fluidly ducked another, coming up and neatly dealing him a blow to the chin which sent him flying off his feet and into a dumpster. He glanced down at the other thug who was stirring at his feet and tied him up with webbing.

Then he rushed to MJ's side, kneeling down in the dirt with her.

"MJ! Are you OK?" he asked putting an arm around her shoulders and helping her up.

"You're...! You're _Spider-man?!_" she ignored his anxious question and got straight to the point, staring at him like he was from another planet.

He winced and avoided her eyes. "Um, would you believe me if I said no?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck nervously. MJ gained back her composure.

"No, I wouldn't, seeing as I just watched you dodge about 20 bullets, knock a guy out with one punch and then tie them both up with webbing!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"Thought so", he mumbled, shamefaced.

Poking him in the chest she practically shouted "Why on _earth_ didn't you tell me you're Spider-!"

Peter hastily put his hand over her mouth, looking nervously at the crowd that was beginning to gather just outside the alleyway after hearing the shots.

"MJ! Why don't you just hold a press conference to tell the whole world who I am for crying out loud!" he snapped.

"Sorry", she mumbled guiltily through his hand, instantly contrite.

Peter sighed and removed his hand from her mouth. "Come on. We can't do this here".

He grabbed her hand and led her off through the crowd into a smaller alleyway. He looked furtively around then jumped up and crawled up the side of the nearest building. MJ watched him climb up with awe. It hit her even harder how amazing he was now she could see him doing these things without the mask.

He reached the top and reached down to pull MJ up. Then he held her tightly around her waist and shot a webline off to the right, pulling them up to the top of a skyscraper.

"I'm sorry for shouting" he said quietly, feeling guilty. She had just found out that her best friend could dodge bullets the hard way. He should cut her some slack.

"That's quite alright". She wrapped her coat closer around herself and folded her arms, her back to him, her posture closed.

MJ walked to the edge and peered over, but instantly recoiled, feeling slightly dizzy at the sheer height.

The full force of what she'd found out suddenly hit her.

"Oh my God!" her hands flew to her mouth. "That was you up there! It's been you all this time, Peter Parker who's been saving people and fighting the _Green Goblin!"_

"Uh, yeah?" he said hesitantly, not sure what she was getting at.

"You could have _died_!" she said. "You could have been killed so many times, I mean everyday there's a chance that you won't move out the way of a bullet in time or you slip and then..." she turned quickly back round, trying not to cry.

"But I didn't" he said softly, coming up behind her to give her a hug. He wrapped his arms protectively around her but she didn't respond.

"MJ, are you sure your OK?" he asked tentatively.

But when she turned around in his arms he saw the tears running down her face.

"No, Tiger, I don't think I am." her voice broke and she sobbed freely.

Peter could almost feel his heart break in two. He tightened his grip on her and pulled her face into the crook of his shoulder, resting his chin on her silky hair.

After a while she pulled away, sniffing.

"Thanks, Tiger, you always know how to cheer me up" she smiled slightly.

"Except it's my fault that you're crying in the first place" he said gently.

He wiped away her tears then said, "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I really am, but to be honest now I'm glad I didn't. Look how much trouble you managed to get into without knowing my secret, and now that you do, well, you're going to be the target for every criminal in the city if it becomes public knowledge that you're friends with Spider-man. If anyone was to find out who I really am, like the Goblin did, it would put you in a lot of danger. He caused enough chaos, he put Aunt May in the hospital and left you hanging over the Queensborough bridge. And I most definitely do not want a re-run of that scenario" Peter finished.

MJ nodded, calmed by his candid words. She knew he was right, now that she knew the truth she was a target.

"It's a little late for that now, Tiger" she smiled sadly.

"Oh, c'mere." Peter wrapped his arms around MJ until she stopped sniffling and she turned with wet eyes to look at him. She stared at him for a while, then walked over to the side of the skyscraper. Careful not to look down she sat down and dangled her legs over the edge and gazed out at the sunset. Peter followed and sat down beside her. She didn't speak; didn't even look at him. They just sat in silence, watching the sky darken from bright pinks and oranges to dark blues and purples, while MJ regained her composure.

"So this is why, huh?" she finally asked, voice calm and controlled. So quickly she had slipped on her cool collected façade she always used when she was upset, never letting anyone know how she was feeling. Peter stupidly thought that if someone had seen her acting right now they would have hired her on the spot.

"Why what, MJ?" he asked, playing dumb, even though he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Why you can't love me." She replied, her voice trembling a little bit. Her eyes watered and tears spilled over onto her smooth cheeks.

Peter leaned over and cupped her cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb.

"Yes." he whispered resting his forward on hers. Hot tears spilled down his cheeks as well. She suddenly looked up into his eyes, holding his face in her hands and forcing him to look back into her eyes.

"I knew it" she whispered, "I knew you loved me".

She suddenly leant forward and captured Peters lips with her own in their third kiss. It was just as wondrous as their first.

Peter pulled away after a while to whisper:

"I love you too, MJ".

**Fin**

**Who else loves the word "wondrous"? It's such a good word! Though, I don't think it makes a good title! :P**

**Well anyway, whatcha think? I was originally going to make it a sad ending, but hey, I'm a romantic at heart, lol. R&R! **

**PS: I've finally got rid of my writer's block and have the next chapter of "Surprise, Surprise!" saved on my computer. I'll put it up sooner if you remember to review! Evil grin ;)**


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